


The Ginger Cat

by PrehistoricCat



Category: Primeval
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-26
Updated: 2012-06-06
Packaged: 2017-11-06 01:42:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/413324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrehistoricCat/pseuds/PrehistoricCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Faced with a glimpse of their own future, Abby and Connor are forced to face up to some demons from their past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Over the years, Connor and Abby had encountered a wide variety of creatures that happened to stumble through anomalies. Creatures from eras long forgotten and eras still to come; creatures that were terrifying and deadly, cute and harmless, weird, fascinating… The list was long, and grew longer on a near day by day basis, and both Connor and Abby knew they’d never tire of going out into the field and coming face to face with whatever the latest anomaly allowed through. They weren’t prepared for this latest encounter though, and Abby had to try very hard not to laugh at the look of sheer disdain on Captain Becker’s face as they approached.

“We dragged ourselves all the way out here with fully charged EMDs and two teams for a bloody ginger tom cat!”

The cat was currently sat a few feet away from the anomaly and had an almost smug expression on its face as it nonchalantly licked a front paw.

“Aw, he’s kind of cute really,” Connor crouched down and held out his hand for the cat. It immediately began to pad over to him, tail in the air and purring. It rubbed its head against Connor. “I think he likes me, Abby.”

“We can’t keep him,” Abby said. “You know the rules. If we can get a creature back to where they belong then we do so; if not, they go into the menagerie.”

“He probably didn’t even come through the anomaly,” Becker sighed. “There’s a farmhouse not that far from here. More than likely, he belongs there. We should just lock the anomaly and head back to the ARC.”

Connor was making a fuss of the cat, tickling its ears and rubbing its chin. Abby couldn’t help smiling at him. Neither of them were cat lovers, but there was no denying that this particular one had taken to Connor and it was a heart warming sight. As she watched, she noticed something that wasn’t quite right. She was no expert on mammals, but that cat didn’t have the body structure of a standard domestic house cat. It seemed broader with more well developed hind legs, something she would have associated more with one of the big cats like a lion or tiger. 

She moved closer to touch it, but it turned on her and hissed, showing its teeth, and that was when they all realised that this cat had, in all likelihood, come through the anomaly from another time.

“Two sets of fangs?” Connor said. “That’s serious hunting gear. Don’t envy the mice where he comes from!”

“I think we’re looking at some kind of future evolution or mutation of a domestic cat,” Abby said. “Can we get a date on that anomaly?”

Connor pulled out the dating calculator and went over to the anomaly. “It’s saying approximately 2040, it’s only accurate to about 5 or so years when the anomaly leads to the future.”

“Could a species evolve so quickly?” Becker asked.

“It’s possible I suppose, but more likely this is either a mutation or is some kind of experiment with genetics.” Abby scowled. She was all for preservation of species and research that helped that, but she disliked experimentation and creatures being deliberately altered without good reason. “We need to get him back to where he belongs. Come on Connor.”

The cat was currently curled up in Connor’s arms, snuggling against his chest and looking quite content. Abby knew the look on Connor’s face too well and realised that unless they took the cat through the anomaly now, he’d be attached and would find some excuse for keeping it. They just couldn’t have a cat in their 4th storey flat.

“Fifteen minutes,” Becker said as Abby prepared to go through, engaging the clip on her EMD. It may only be 30 or so years in the future, but she was not taking any chances. She nodded and then motioned for Connor to follow her with the cat.

As they stepped through the anomaly, Abby instinctively moved a little ahead of him with her EMD raised. A quick sweeping glance around told them that they’d arrived in the middle of what appeared to be some kind of military base, so it was no surprise when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a group of soldiers.

“Drop your weapons!” one shouted. Not wanting to argue when they were clearly outnumbered, Abby placed her EMD on the ground and held up her arms.

“Lock that anomaly!” another soldier barked, and two of them knelt down and opened up a very familiar looking case containing a device Connor knew better than anyone else. He grinned and opened his mouth to say something, but the soldiers all suddenly froze as a voice was heard from a little way off.

“At ease, soldiers.” 

“I guess this is the part where Becker shows up and asks if we brought him a postcard,” Abby whispered. The soldier that had called out was approaching; striding over with long, confident paces.

“My apologies, Ma’am,” he said. “My men are a little over zealous today. There was no anomaly opening scheduled for today, so when the detector went off… Please accept my apologies, Ma’am. If we’d known it was you they wouldn’t have treated you and your companion in this manner.”

“It’s fine,” Abby said, slightly bemused as she watched the soldiers lower their weapons and disperse back to wherever they had come from. Connor was also a little confused; those soldiers were clearly something to do with anomalies in this time, and their leader had obviously recognised Abby – but not him. He’d referred to Connor as Abby’s companion.

“That was weird.”

“Hm. Let’s just go and find somewhere where we can let this little guy go and then head back to the anomaly.”

“No arguing from me,” Connor responded. 

They made their way through the base, realising it was more than just a military installation. It seemed to be an entire town with schools, shops and a pub. They had no idea where the cat had actually come from, but Abby said he’d probably find his own way easily enough if they let him go somewhere quiet. She had spotted what looked to be a recreation area close to some residential buildings; it seemed as good a place as any so they headed in that direction.

Connor felt uneasy. People were looking at them in an odd way – in fact they were staring. Connor glared back menacingly and some looked away, red faced at being caught, but most just continued. There was a lot of whispering too. If Abby had noticed it, she wasn’t letting it bother her. He admired that in her, the way she could just focus on the task in hand and not let other things distract her. 

“Say your goodbyes, Connor. We’ve already been longer than fifteen minutes, Becker will be having a fit by now!”

Connor sighed and crouched down, placing the cat on the ground. “Bye little Danny! Go find your owner!” The cat gave Connor a final look then scurried off into some nearby bushes.

“Little Danny?” Abby asked as he got to his feet.

“Yeah, the ginger thing… thought it was kind of appropriate didn’t I!”

“You can’t call a cat Danny!”

“Why not?”

Abby laughed and tugged on Connor’s hand, giving it a playful squeeze as the pair of them walked back towards the anomaly. From a distance, Abby could see it was still locked. “Something must be wrong, Becker should’ve unlocked it by now.”

“Ah. Slight problem. He can’t.” Connor said. Abby gave him a questioning look. “Each locking device has its own signature code. The anomaly can only be unlocked by the same device that locked it. We have to find those soldiers and get them to open it for us.”

Abby looked around, there wasn’t a soldier to be seen and she doubted they’d be able to get access to one of the military buildings. “You try the pub, Connor. There’s bound to be someone there that will know how to get hold of a soldier. I’ll have a wander around and see if I can find anyone.”

Connor ran over to the pub and went inside. It seemed he’d struck gold; sat in one corner was a group of soldiers, some of them he recognised from earlier and there were a few others as well. He was about to go over when he heard part of their conversation that intrigued him.

“That’s my cousin you’re talking about, and there’s no way she’d do that!” A young soldier with blonde hair said.

“I know what I saw. The Captain, barely 48 hours after dumping her boyfriend, is parading around the place on her day off with a new man.”

“It’s not really any of our business is it? She is entitled to a private life.”

“It is our business, Maitland, when he finds out, Anderson is going to be like a bear with a sore head,” the older soldier spat. At the mention of the names Maitland and Anderson. Connor grew even more interested. Both reasonably common names, but mentioned in the same breath by soldiers connected to anomalies? It was just too much of a coincidence.

Connor cleared his throat and the group looked at him. The young blonde soldier’s mouth dropped open and then a smile spread across his face. “I don’t believe it! This explains everything, I know exactly what’s happened. Stay there! I have to go and get someone!” He stood up and practically ran out of the pub as the rest looked on shaking their heads and muttering something about crazy kids.

“I need that anomaly unlocking so that Abby and I can go back through,” Connor began. “I don’t suppose someone can help?”

“Sure. Gimme a few minutes to finish my pint and I’ll do it.”

Connor nodded gratefully and waited, feeling uneasy again. The remaining soldiers were giving him the same strange looks that he’d had outside. He debated whether he should sit down with them or go outside to look for Abby and tell her he’d found someone to unlock the anomaly for them. He opted for sitting down in the seat that the young soldier had left. “So… the young guy… Maitland?”

“Thinks he’s some big shot just because his cousin is the Captain,” one of the men sneered. 

“Young Harry’s OK, nothing that can’t be knocked out of him in time,” another laughed. 

Connor was about to ask more about the Captain, when the soldiers all stood to attention. Harry had returned, followed by a woman dressed in the same black uniform and a baseball cap. It was Connor’s turn to look shocked; the names weren’t just a coincidence. This woman could be Abby’s twin; a near perfect double save for a few minor differences that only someone who knew her well like Connor would notice. 

“So the rumour is true,” she smiled, removing her cap. She then told the soldiers to sit down again and moved closer. “Didn’t any of you pay attention in your induction classes? How could you not recognise Connor Temple?”

“Sir! My apologies!” One by one the soldiers came over and shook his hand, much to Connor’s amusement. The female soldier watched them, a sparkle in her eye. She was clearly holding back something, not wanting to let down her professional persona in front of her men. Finally she couldn’t contain herself any longer. She came over, flung her arms around Connor and squeezed him tightly.

“Please tell me that the woman they thought was me is her? Are you two married yet?” she whispered in Connor’s ear. He was about to respond when he realised the place had gone silent. Abby had just arrived, looking for Connor, and all eyes turned to her, and then to the female soldier who had now released her hold on Connor and was doing her best to blink away tears forming in her eyes. 

“I always hoped that our paths would cross one day during our travels and that I’d get to meet you,” she said. “Dad always said I was the spitting image of you.”

Abby stared, trying to process what she was seeing and hearing. It was like looking in a mirror and she wasn’t sure if she should be happy or frightened.

“I’m sorry. I should introduce myself. I’m Captain Nicola Temple, and I’m…”

“You’re our daughter!” Connor gushed, suddenly making the connection. “And Harry Maitland is…”

“I’m Jack’s son.” The young man smiled. Hugs were exchanged and some minutes later, Abby and Connor found themselves following Harry and Nicola through the town and towards the residential complex. At the far end was a house stood apart from the rest, and as they got closer, Connor spotted something familiar. ‘Danny’ the cat was sat by the door waiting to be let in.

“Is he your cat?” Connor asked.

“He sort of adopted me,” Nicola said. “No idea where he came from but I can’t get rid of him. I called him Quinn after… well, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you who.” She opened the door and Quinn ran inside, tail in the air.

Connor nudged Abby in the ribs and smiled smugly. “I was close,” he said. “I guess me and our daughter think alike.” Abby just shook her head and followed silently behind into Nicola’s house.

“It’s not much,” Nicola was saying, clearing a jacket and a towel from the sofa and motioning for Abby and Connor to sit down. “But it’s home. Don’t spend that much time here really.” She disappeared through a door and the sound of a tap being run and a kettle being filled was heard. “I need to leave you for a little while, there’s something I need to do. Damage limitation. I split up with my boyfriend a couple of days ago, and your appearance today set the rumour mill in progress. They thought I was trying to rub John’s nose in it by parading my new man around town. I may not like John much at the moment, but he doesn’t deserve this.” She waved, asked Harry to come with her and told Abby and Connor to make themselves at home.

After Harry and Nicola had gone, there was an awkward silence. The kettle switched itself off so Connor stood up to go and make a drink, then sat down again when he saw Abby’s face. She had barely spoken since Nicola had introduced herself, but he’d only really just noted that fact.

“You OK, Abs? I know this is a bit weird, meeting our future daughter and nephew, but it’s pretty cool too don’t you think?”

“It’s not that, Connor.”

“Don’t tell me it bothers you that they’ve chosen to be soldiers? I know it’s not the path we would have wanted for them, but if that’s what they wanted to do, then we wouldn’t have been able to stop them.”

“Didn’t you hear what she said?” Abby said quietly. “She talked about you in the past tense, as if you’re dead. We’re only about 30 years in our future here, which means you die in your 50s – far too young! Whether you die because of an illness or an accident, or you’re killed in the field on an anomaly call, I don’t think I want to stick around and find out.”

Connor took her hand and kissed her forehead. “OK, when she comes back, we’ll thank her for her hospitality and say we don’t think it’s a good idea to know too much about our future. We’ll get them to unlock the anomaly and go home.”

“There’s something else too. She said she’d hoped to meet me one day, as if she didn’t know me. Somehow I disappeared from her life when she was too young to remember me.”

“We won’t ask anything; if you don’t want to know how you die… how we die… then I completely understand.”

“Connor… I’m not sure I die. I just have doubts about the kind of mother I’d be after what happened to Jack and I as kids.” She felt sick. They’d never really talked about having children, although she knew it was something Connor wanted eventually. Having spent most of their childhood in and out of foster care because their natural mother didn’t know how to cope with them, Abby had wondered if she’d be the same, that the lack of maternal instinct was genetic.

“You wouldn’t abandon our child, Abby!”

“You don’t know that! Look, I can’t stay here. Let’s go and find Nicola now and go. I don’t want to be here a minute longer than we need to be.”

Connor nodded. He was a little disappointed but he could see that Abby was getting quite distressed. He thought he’d said enough in the Cretaceous to convince her that she wasn’t anything like her mother, but clearly he hadn’t and he knew he needed to do something once they got back home. Did they do counselling for this sort of thing? 

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. It was Nicola returning, and she looked concerned. “Your anomaly closed.”

“What?” Abby glanced at Connor, biting down on her bottom lip.

“It was a new one, it’s not on any of our charts or timetables so it’s unpredictable. I have guys on it already, trying to see if they can link it to another one and find out when it’ll reopen, but until then… you’re welcome to stay here.” Nicola grinned. Having both her parents here was a dream come true, but her face fell at their reaction to the news.

Abby choked back a sob and buried her head in Connor’s chest. He stroked her hair and whispered that it would be OK, and shot Nicola an apologetic look.


	2. Chapter 2

Connor was concerned about Abby. It wasn’t like her to be so restless as she slept, he was usually the one that tossed and turned all night if things weren’t right and it would be Abby holding him and trying to calm him. He’d wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed close to her, but she’d pretty much shrugged him away.

He knew what was on her mind. They’d spent many a long night during their year in the Cretaceous era talking about her childhood, and her fears that history would repeat itself. She hadn’t wanted to even think about a week ahead during that time, let alone the possibility that one day they’d be having children, and once they’d returned to their own time they’d been flung straight into action and not really had chance to reflect or make plans for their future. Now that they were suddenly being confronted with it, Abby was clearly unhappy.

He heard movement in the lounge and decided to go and see if Nicola was awake. She’d given him and Abby her bed for the night, saying she’d be fine on the sofa. When he stuck his head out of the door, she was sat up studying some kind of tablet style computer with Quinn curled up asleep on her lap.

“Dad! Can I get you something?” Nicola looked up and smiled.

“Just having trouble sleeping that’s all. Abby’s a bit restless. OK if I sit with you for a while?” She nodded and shuffled along a little to allow Connor to sit next to her. Quinn looked up, annoyed at being disturbed and jumped off Nicola’s lap in search of somewhere where he could sleep in peace.

“He’s an odd sort, for a cat,” Connor commented. “Abby thinks he’s some kind of experiment?”

“No, he’s just from several hundred years in the future. Turned up on the doorstep a few weeks ago. I’m guessing he came through one of the anomalies we had around that time and got missed by the clean up team. He’s pretty happy here though and keeps mice and rats away.”

Connor nodded; that made sense he supposed. Keeping a creature from another time was something he was very familiar with, and it amused him that Nicola was exactly like him and Abby in that respect. He tried to see what was on the screen of the computer she was using and leaned a little closer to get a better look.

“I’m just having a look at the anomaly readings,” Nicola said, tilting the screen so he could see. “The anomaly you came through is new, and at the moment it seems to be a stand alone.”

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“It’s not. We can’t say when, or even if, it’ll reopen any time soon. In the morning, I’ll get the team looking for another on the database that’ll get the pair of you back to somewhere within the right time frame.”

“Well, we’ve been stuck in worse places.”

“Yeah, you have.” Nicola sighed, then reached out and touched Connor’s cheek. “It’s so weird having you sitting here, looking like you did when I was small. You used to sit me on your knee and tell me stories about the Cretaceous and the things you and mum did before she…” Nicola bit her lip and sniffed, forcing back her tears. Connor was torn; part of him wanted to know everything so that maybe he could do something to put it right when they returned to their own time, but another part of him was afraid of the truth and it was probably better to not know at all.

“I’ve missed you so much, dad!” Nicola finally let out her tears, and Connor instinctively put his arms around her. It didn’t feel as strange as he thought it ought to, and after a few moments it felt completely natural to be comforting her as any father would. “It’s been 18 months since you passed away, but it still feels like yesterday sometimes!”

“How did I die?” Connor couldn’t help himself. His own father had died very young and Connor barely remembered him. He’d often wondered if the same would happen to him, but he’d been assured by the ARC medics that he was fit and healthy.

“Some said that you died of a broken heart; that it had shattered into pieces the day mum disappeared and never healed,” Nicola held his hand and looked him straight in the eyes. “You stayed strong for me all of those years, but two days after I got my promotion you told me that you couldn’t fight it any longer and you… you passed away peacefully in your sleep.”

Connor tried to get his head around what Nicola had just told him and shook his head in disbelief. “Abby disappeared?” 

“No-one really knows what happened to her. Matt Anderson told me that she’d not had an easy pregnancy and when I was born she suffered from post natal depression. He said everyone at the ARC rallied around to help, looking after me so that you and her could have some time alone and so on. Then one day, she left me with Emily and said she needed to go shopping. She never came back.”

Connor couldn't believe what he was hearing. It just didn't sound like something Abby would do, especially after her own childhood. There had to be a reason why she never came back. “Did they find a body?” he asked quietly, the words almost sticking his throat.

“No, and I think that was partly what kept you going for so long. There was always a hope that one day she'd just turn up and walk through the door. If there'd been an accident or she'd committed suicide, some evidence would have been found. It was like she just disappeared off the face of the earth.”

“So it was just you and I then?”

“We were a great team,” Nicola smiled, lightening the mood. “I grew up practically living at the ARC, and Aunty Emily took care of me alongside her's and Matt's son, John, whilst you set about creating this.” She picked up a device from the table in front of them and switched it on. Connor instantly recognised the swirling image appearing in front of him – the map of the anomalies that they'd found on the artefact. He'd created it? “Over the years the data has been added to until we had a pretty complete map of every anomaly known to exist. We began to spot patterns and now we can predict them to within about an hour.”

“Most of them anyway,” Connor said, and then yawned. “Look, what you told me tonight, please don't mention it to Abby. She doesn't want to know about our future.”

“Is that why she's so restless?” Connor nodded. “I understand. And now you know what happens, you can do something about it. You always said that you regretted not realising just how bad her depression had become. Your daughter will grow up knowing both of her parents, I'm sure of it.”

Connor said goodnight and went back to bed, determined in his mind that he would not forget the conversation he'd just had and make sure it would never happen.

-0-

The morning brought a difference of opinion between Abby and Connor. Abby insisted that the best place for them was right here at Nicola's house, staying out of sight and avoiding all contact with anyone else from this time until they found an anomaly to get them home. Connor didn't see any point in just sitting around, and believed there wouldn't be any harm in going to the version of the ARC of this time. He was curious to see how the research had moved on, what sort of equipment they used and if they were close to actually finding how the anomalies occurred. 

“It could be hours before we find an anomaly for you,” Nicola said. “Surely you'll go crazy just sitting around here?”

“I'm willing to take that chance,” Abby replied. She glared at Connor, who was alternating between a sulky pout and persuasive puppy dog eyes. The eyes won, Abby knew he would be terrible company if he at least didn't get a guided tour of the ARC whilst he was here. She was adamant that she would stay in the house though, and would busy herself somehow.

She watched Nicola and Connor stroll together along the path towards the main street with a lump in her throat. It was a very strange situation to be in; how many other people got to spend time with their grown up children whilst being the same age as them? Connor hardly seemed phased by it at all, as if it happened all the time, but she just couldn't grasp the idea. She envied him in a way; he could have a relationship with their daughter that was completely unique and perhaps it would stand him in good stead for when, if it happened, he would actually be able to be a proper father. It also hurt; it was a relationship she would never have. She was clearly a stranger to Nicola; over breakfast she'd called Connor 'dad' several times, but just didn't seem able to bring herself to call Abby 'mum'. It simply added more weight to her fear that she'd turned out exactly like her own mother and abandoned her child. At least it seemed the version of Connor here had had the sense to get rid of her from his life and bring up Nicola himself. Nicola seemed a strong and confident woman; he should be proud.

After she'd watched the two figures disappear from sight, Abby wondered what she could do to occupy herself for a few hours. A quick glance around told her that Nicola had obviously inherited one of Connor's more annoying habits - not tidying up after herself. At least she could make herself useful whilst she was here. 

But tidying up proved to be a huge mistake. As she searched for places to put things away, Abby kept stumbling upon the very information that she was trying to avoid. Photographs taunting her; images of Connor and Nicola at various ages, other familiar faces such as Matt and Emily, Jess, Becker, even Lester. It seemed everyone had had a part in Nicola's life except her. When she found a photo album, the temptation was just too much and Abby couldn't stop herself from leafing through. It was like torture; even Jack had managed to get his act together and was a family man. 

Suddenly, there was a loud and very insistent knock on the door. Wiping stray tears from her cheeks, Abby slammed the photo album shut and went to answer it. She recognised the man stood on the doorstep immediately, he was on several of the photos she'd just been looking at - Matt and Emily's son, John, and Nicola's boyfriend.

“Wow!” he said. “When they said Nic looked like you, they weren't kidding!”

Abby stepped aside and let him in, eyeing him up and down. He was very obviously Matt's son, he had the same facial features but seemed taller and slimmer. “If you're looking for Nicola, she's gone to the ARC with Connor.”

“I know, I saw them heading over there. It's you I need to speak to. I think you're the only one who can help.”

Abby indicated for him to sit down on the sofa, and she sat opposite him. “I'm not sure how I can help you, John. And I don't want to know any 'spoilers' about my life, so if you're going to tell me...”

“Don't worry, none of that is my business. It's Nicola I'm worried about.” John shifted nervously in his seat.

“She mentioned that you'd split up?”

“Hm, yes. She's been acting weird for a few weeks now. I think something happened to her during the last anomaly mission we went on, but she claims everything's fine and I'm just being over protective.”

“Like what?” Abby was intrigued. Nicola had seemed OK to her, but then again she didn't know what was normal for her.

“We had a cluster of new anomalies opening, all within a few hours of each other and all leading to roughly the same time. We struggled to cope with them all, the team was spread too thinly, and she went off on her own without anyone else realising until she'd actually gone. When we found her, she seemed a bit distant and said her head hurt. Since no-one else was ill, we weren't too worried but I made her come back home and get checked by a medic just in case.”

Abby sighed. It didn't sound like anything to be concerned about. She would've gone on her own too if faced with the same situation, though Becker and Connor probably would lecture her about it afterwards. “You said she was acting weird?” 

“Little things, like forgetting some of the soldier's names, and since seeing the medic she hasn't been inside the ARC.”

“Ah, but she's gone there now,” Abby smiled. “She's taken Connor to have a look round. He was curious. I don't think you need to be worried about her. Maybe she just had a bit of a knock to the head whilst she was separated from the rest of the group and it's taken a few days to sort herself out. She'd take after her dad for that!”

John shook his head. “Something's not right. I did wonder if perhaps she was suffering from the same as …” He stopped, remembering Abby had asked him not to say anything about her. “I know her grandmother had some issues, and I was asking Harry if his father had mentioned anything about it. She overheard me though, and practically blew a gasket! That was when she dumped me.”

“She did say she didn't like you much at the moment,” Abby laughed, and John blushed. Abby decided she liked him, he seemed pleasant enough and cared about Nicola. “It'll sort itself out. She's a Temple, they generally don't hold a grudge for long. Trust me on that one. For what it's worth though, my mother was nothing more than a lazy, drunk, drug addict who had no business bringing children into the world. Nicola is nothing like her, and neither am I.”

“No-one said you were. Everyone sympathised with your condition and...”

“I think you'd better stop there, John. As I said, Nicola is a Temple and just like her father, she'll get over this and realise what you mean to her.”

John nodded and stood up to leave. “I hope you're right.” His smile seemed forced, and Abby couldn't help feeling sorry for him. “Thanks for the chat anyway.”

“You're welcome, it was nice meeting you.”

They said their goodbyes and Abby watched him leave the same way Nicola and Connor had earlier. Even after he'd gone from sight, she continued staring out of the window, miles away and lost in her own thoughts. Despite saying all the right things, she didn't believe them deep down. They were Connor's words, not hers. Something had happened to the version of herself here; John had called it a 'condition', and now it sounded like Nicola could have the beginnings of some kind of issue too. The Maitland women seemed cursed and there wasn't anything she could do about it.


	3. Chapter 3

“Here we are. The ARC, 2042 style!” Nicola stood proudly at the doorway, watching Connor's reaction as he tried to take in where he was. The shell of the building hadn't altered that much from the one back in 2012, but it seemed the security system had had a serious upgrade. Nicola pushed Connor ahead of her and made him stand on a marked spot on the ground. Something felt strange, a tingle running the length of his body as the scanner moved over him. Then there was the sound of a doorway being opened and an electronic voice greeted him.

“Welcome back, Connor Temple. You haven't logged in for a while, I hope you're well, sir?”

“That is... How did it know?” Connor's grin was as wide as his face.

“Retinal scanning and bio-recognition. It still has your details on file even though you passed away. No-one had the heart to remove it. Come on, let's go inside!” She urged Connor forward and followed him. The layout inside hadn't changed that much either, and Connor soon found himself at the top of the stairs that led down to the main hub where Jess's console was. Now he knew he really was in the future. The ADD was huge, and once his eyes had adjusted to the screens in front of him he realised it was in 3D. 

He practically ran towards it, eyes wide and mouth open. In his head, this was exactly how he'd imagined the ADD would look when he'd first designed it. The young brunette monitoring it turned in her chair and practically fell off when she realised who was stood next to her. Red faced, she gathered her wits and stood to attention, saluting Connor. 

“Sit down,” Connor muttered, embarrassed at her reaction. “You don't need to salute me!”

“Carrie here has been tasked with trying to find an anomaly to get you and Abby home,” Nicola said. She placed a hand on Carrie's shoulder to let her know it was OK for her to sit down again. “How are you getting on?”

“Take a look, Ma'am,” Carrie said, moving aside to let Nicola get to the controls. 

For a moment, Nicola looked blank and swallowed nervously. She glanced up at the screens in front of her, then took a deep breath. “I could never get the hang of this thing,” she said eventually. “I didn't inherit dad's technical skills, that's why I ended up in the military and not in research!”

“We can't all be geniuses I suppose!” Connor laughed. “Can I have a go?”

“Sure, it should recognise your fingerprints still.” Carrie pointed to where Connor needed to press so that he could start to scroll through the pages of anomaly readings on the screens.

“Fingerprint recognition? This place is just too cool!” Connor began waving his hands around, chuckling to himself as the screens reacted to his touch. Nicola and Carrie exchanged amused looks, then Carrie moved in to guide Connor to the data she'd been looking at.

“There's an anomaly due in three days time that should take you back to June 2012,” Carrie said. “Looks like it opens up by the Forest of Dean. Odd how so many end up there isn't it?”

Connor frowned. “It has some significance, I'm certain of it!”

“We'll figure it out one day,” Carrie smiled. “Though for now, you should just be grateful we have that point of reference that will always help us find the way home.”

“Agreed.” Connor scanned his eyes over all of the figures in front of him. He understood most of it, but he realised that things had moved on significantly during the thirty years between his own time and this. He felt a slight twinge of sadness; he wouldn't live to see the mystery of anomalies completely solved. “What's this?” he asked, squinting at some calculations in the corner that were written in a different font to the rest.

“Oh, that's something I'm working on,” Carrie blushed. “I was analysing the data from the anomaly that you came through yesterday. We thought it was unique, but the magnetic signature it gave off matched that of an anomaly that opened a few weeks back. Remember that day when we were rushed off our feet with one anomaly after another?” Carrie turned to Nicola. “I think the new anomaly is connected to that cluster somehow.”

“Could be worth looking at,” Connor nodded. 

“Probably not,” Nicola said.

“Surely any connection is important? No matter how small or seemingly insignificant.”

Nicola gave Connor a dismissive look and he was taken aback. “With respect, dad,” she said. “We're thirty years ahead of you with the research. Trust me, this isn't a connection worth spending time over.”

Carrie seemed to slink back in her seat like a child that had just been chastised for speaking out of turn in class. It made Connor uncomfortable; he didn't like the look Nicola had given him and Carrie one bit. It reminded him of someone but he couldn't place who at the moment. Still, he had to remember that she was a soldier, and didn't get to be Captain by being nice. He started to wonder how she'd get on with Becker, and that thought made him smile again.

“Captain Temple! Good to see you again!” A tall, slim male was striding towards them. His pale skin immediately told Connor this was a man who spent too many hours shut away in an office or lab and rarely saw daylight. He had to be a scientist or a technician. “I've been waiting for a request from Security to sort your retinal scan problem out. I guess it sorted itself out?”

“No, I've just been busy the last week or so and not had chance to file the issue.”

“No-one else has had problems with it, so it's probably just that your file has become corrupted and that's why it's not recognising you. Shouldn't take long to do. Make sure you come and see me as soon as possible, we can't have you not being able to gain access.”

“I will do, Scott. I just have other priorities at the moment – like trying to help my parents get home to their own time.” Nicola nodded in Connor's direction.

The man held his hand out and shook Connor's hand. “I'm Graham, Scott's the older guy that works in the lab. We're both admirers of your work, Mr Temple. Your untimely passing was a huge blow to the project.”

Connor wasn't quite sure how to respond to that, so just muttered a thank you and turned back to look at the calculations that Carrie was doing.

“I could give you a tour of the military base too if you like, dad,” Nicola said. “I need to go and make sure everything is OK over there anyway.”

“I wouldn't want to keep you from your work,” Connor replied. “I'm quite happy to stay here. I'm sure Carrie will look after me.” He smiled at the young woman and she blushed.

“Fine, if that's what you want. I'll send Harry over in a couple of hours to get you and show you the way back to my house.” Nicola turned on her heels and strode off. Connor couldn't work out if she was annoyed with him or if that was just her military training. He shook his head then turned again to the still blushing Carrie.

“OK, now she's out of the way, let's have a proper look at those anomaly readings eh?”

“But, sir. Captain Temple said they weren't worth looking at.”

“What does she know? She's not a scientist. Come on, you know more than she does, and if you thought it important enough to mention, then it's worth checking out.” Connor looked around for another chair so that he could join Carrie.

“It's hormones you know,” Graham sniffed. Connor looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “I may be speaking out of turn here, her being your daughter and all... but there's something amiss with that one lately. Wouldn't surprise me if she was in the family way.”

“Pregnant?” Connor almost choked. He was only really just getting to grips with the fact he had a grown up daughter; being a grandfather was just too much to get his head around at the moment.

“I mean, your wife... her mother. They said that was hormones too.”

Connor felt his blood begin to boil. “You're right, you are speaking out of turn. If my daughter is pregnant, she'll tell me when she's good and ready.”

“Of course. I'm sorry.”

Graham walked away, and Connor watched him for a moment before turning his attention back to the anomaly readings on the screen.

-o-

Quinn had been meowing at Abby for the last 10 minutes, and it was finally getting to a point where she couldn't ignore him any longer. She opened the door, thinking he wanted to be let out, but he sat there looking up at Abby with a sad expression on his face.

“What's wrong? Do you want some food?” Abby sighed, not sure if she'd even seen a tin of cat food whilst she was tidying the kitchen. Quinn seemed to perk up at that and followed Abby into the kitchen and began rubbing himself around her legs whilst she searched the cupboards for something to feed him. Eventually she found a can of tuna which she opened and put in the small dish on the floor she assumed was Quinn's. He sniffed it, then looked up at Abby again with the same sad expression. Then he began to scratch at the back of his neck with his back paw. Abby had noticed him do that quite a lot.

“You poor thing, have you got fleas or a tick or something? Let's have a look at you, eh? See if there's something I can do to make you a bit happier.” Abby crouched down and picked up Quinn. He squirmed a little a first, but Abby's experience at handling animals meant she soon had him calm and under control so that she could have a proper look at him.

There was a small tuft of fur at the back of his neck that stuck out at a strange angle. On closer examination, Abby found that the skin beneath it was raised and the fur matted with a small amount of dried blood. She could feel something hard below the surface and it wasn't like any tick Abby had come across before. “No wonder you're miserable,” Abby said softly. Whatever it was, it didn't feel like it was very deep. A local anaesthetic and a small sharp scalpel should work. Whilst Abby knew there'd be a vet somewhere around, she didn't have a clue where to start looking for one and she figured it would be quicker for her to do it herself. They'd have what she needed at the ARC.

Carrying the purring cat in her arms, Abby made her way over to the familiar building. She'd have to hope that there would be a soldier on the security door that would go and find Nicola or Connor to let her in once she got there, and then make sure that they took her straight to the menagerie so that she wouldn't have to speak to anyone else who might inadvertently tell her what had happened to her.

She couldn't see anyone on duty when she got there, so she looked around for some kind of intercom system. As she stepped forward, she felt her entire body begin to tingle as if electricity was flowing through her nervous system. She tried to run, but it was like she was being held in place. Then an alarm sounded and moments later she found herself surrounded by soldiers.

“This is starting to get a bit annoying.” Abby said. “I could get paranoid about this you know.”

Whatever was holding her was switched off and John Anderson came over. “Sorry, Abby. The ARC's security system is set to recognise your biology and alert us. It's meant to tell us when you... your other self, Nicola's mother... Connor set it up just in case you returned. I should've had it switched it off whilst you're here.”

“It's OK, just wasn't expecting that kind of welcome.” Abby pulled Quinn closer to her body, more for her own reassurance than his. “Can you take me to the menagerie or whatever your equivalent is? Looks like Quinn's got himself a tick or something and I need to get it out for him.”

“Sure, this way.” 

She followed John through the corridor and past the huge console where she could see Connor sat next to a young woman and seemingly concentrating very hard on something. Typical, she thought. Always working even when he doesn't have to. Then again, so was she in a way. 

John left her to it, and Abby set about preparing Quinn for the minor surgery. He was well behaved considering he hardly knew her, but Abby just had the knack for putting any creature at ease. They seemed to know she was trying to help them. Moments later, she'd shaved away a small patch of fur around the hard lump and was ready to make an incision.

Connor silently slipped into the room and stood a little distance away. He was curious as to why Abby had even set foot into the ARC after her insistence earlier that she didn't want any interaction with this time, and he needed a break from the screens. Wincing, he watched Abby cut into the fold of skin at the back of Quinn's neck and then she pulled something out with a small pair of tweezers. She held it up and Connor came closer to get a better look.

“A computer chip? What on earth is that doing in the cat's neck?”

“Could be an ID chip, though it's not like any I used when I was helping to put them into the animals at the zoo. Let me put a couple of stitches in and settle Quinn somewhere safe for a while, and then we can have a proper look at it.” 

Connor nodded, and picked the chip up with the tweezers, frowning at it. Abby carefully patched up Quinn and put him into a plastic pet carrier, then stood next to Connor. “I'll ask Carrie if there's something that will read this for us.”

Carrie found a laptop with a device that the chip could be clipped onto. Abby sat facing Connor as they both waited for it to start up. Without looking up, Abby spoke. “I had a visit from John this morning. He's worried about Nicola.”

“Worried? In what way?”

“He says she's been acting weird, forgetting people's names and so on. I said I hadn't noticed anything odd. You've been with her today, did she seem OK to you?”

“Well, yes and no.” Abby looked up. “She's a soldier isn't she. They're not known for being nice, they have to be tough and a bit distant. I just assumed that was what she's like. Then she got Graham's name wrong, and after she'd gone he said he thought something was amiss with her.”

“John said he thinks something happened to her when they were dealing with some anomalies a few weeks ago. She went off on her own, then when she came back he said she had a headache and has been acting weird ever since.”

“Well that makes more sense than Graham's theory!” Connor sniffed. “He thinks she's pregnant.”

Abby gave him a look that told him to stop talking now. There was an awkward silence, and Abby wished the device would hurry up so they could think about something else. Connor cleared his throat. “Abby?”

“I don't want to know, Connor.”

“I'm not going to tell you anything, it's just well... when we get back, there's stuff we need to talk about; stuff we've been avoiding talking about ever since we got back from the Cretaceous. If we do, then maybe the future we're in now won't happen.” He blinked back a tear he could feel stinging his eye. The thought that he was going to lose the love of his life hurt too much, and he was determined to do everything in his power to make sure he wouldn't. 

“No promises,” Abby whispered. “But I'll at least listen. We'll take it from there.” She squeezed Connor's hand, and then the device beeped to let them know it was ready. Pulling themselves together, Abby handed the chip to Connor and he placed it into the device.

At first, the data was meaningless. Random letters and numbers scrolled across the screen and Abby frowned. “I don't get it. Why would this be put inside a cat?”

“Maybe it's code? Or a future computer language? I could get Carrie to... oh, hang on. This looks more promising.” Connor pointed at an icon that had appeared on the screen and he pressed his finger against it to open the file. A simple string of words appeared; two sentences that made both Abby and Connor's mouths drop open in disbelief.

Do not trust Nicola Temple. She's not who you think she is. 

Neither Abby nor Connor dared voice the concerns running through their heads as they tried to digest what they were seeing. Was this some kind of sick joke? Did someone have a grudge against Nicola? Connor blinked and switched off the device, not wanting to see the hateful words any longer and then he grasped Abby's hand.

“I'm sorry to disturb you, but I've found something I think you should see.” Carrie peered around the door with a concerned look on her face.

Connor sighed, stood up and kissed Abby's cheek softly. “You make sure the patient is OK, I'll go and see what Carrie wants and then we should go back to Nicola's house and see if we can work out what to do with this.”

He followed Carrie back into the main hub and sat next to her, waiting for the information to come up on the screen. “Your anomaly from yesterday did match one from that cluster the other week,” she began. “So I decided to go through all of the database to see if I could find any other matches.” Carrie dragged a few more blocks of text over to the part of the screen in front of Connor. “I found two other matches.” Carrie swallowed nervously and seemed hesitant.

“Show me,” Connor said softly.

“One of the matching anomalies appeared in January 2011, central Dublin.”

Connor raised his eyebrows. “The one Abby and I came through from the Cretaceous?”

Carrie nodded. “Think so. There were no other anomalies recorded that day, so it has to be.”

“That was man made,” Connor said. “We opened it using Helen Cutter's device. If it's a match to ours from yesterday and one from your cluster... does that mean they were man made too?”

“They have to be. They all carry the same frequency signature. Chances are they were created the same way.”

Connor took a moment to process his thoughts. Someone was opening anomalies in this time, and that wasn't good. “Wait, you said there was another one? When was that?”

“Just over 27 years ago. The day your wife disappeared.”

Connor felt both sick and elated. He had known in his heart all along that Abby wouldn't have just abandoned Nicola. She'd gone through an anomaly, most likely against her will. An anomaly created by an electronic device in the hands of the only other person in the world who had access to that technology. He had to make Abby listen; if his fears were right, it was no accident that they were here.


	4. Chapter 4

Abby sat in silence as she listened to everything Connor was telling her. She tried to detach herself emotionally and just take in the facts, but it was impossible. How could she not get upset over the fact that she had abandoned her daughter, just as she had always feared she would do? 

She hadn't wanted to listen at first, knowing it would be too painful, but she also trusted Connor with her life and soul and if he thought she needed to know then she'd listen. When he'd finished, she broke down in tears and he held her tight against his chest, stroking her hair and rocking her gently. He didn't speak, he knew there were no words that would comfort her at the moment and he had to let her deal with this in her own time.

Finally, some long minutes later, she pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. “OK,” she whispered. “So now you tell me why it was so important that I know what happened to me here.”

“All of these years, everyone believed you had severe post-natal depression and that you'd walked away from your baby and husband. But that wasn't the truth. You were taken against your will through an anomaly by someone who had opened it with the same kind of device that got us home from the Cretaceous.”

“Someone? Perhaps it was me? Maybe that was how I managed to walk away? It would make sense to just disappear through an anomaly.”

“I don't believe that, and neither do you.” Connor leaned forward and took both her hands. “I believe that that anomaly was opened by Helen Cutter, and she kidnapped you and has been holding you hostage for all of these years.”

Abby closed her eyes for a moment, then looked at Connor. “For what reason?”

“Because she's an evil twisted bitch! When has she ever needed a reason to do something, Abby?”

“You're forgetting something,” Abby said softly, stroking Connor's shoulder. “She was killed in the Pliocene era. Danny was pretty certain she was dead.”

“She travelled through so many anomalies, she could've kidnapped you before she came up with her crazy plan to destroy mankind and we've just stumbled on her in a different time!”

“You're just clutching at straws, Connor. I know what you're trying to do, but there's no need. I know I've been avoiding the truth, but now that I know I can do something about it. I promise when we get back, I'll see about getting some professional help.” Abby kissed Connor on the cheek and smiled. “Come on, let's go back to Nicola's. I want to make some dinner, maybe invite John around and see if we can get those two talking again. He's a nice guy, she shouldn't be pushing him away. I may not have been the perfect mother, but I can at least give her some advice. I pushed you away for too long, Connor. She may not be so lucky and John might not be as persistent as you.”

“Nicola... what about that message? How do we know that we can trust her? You saw what it said.”

“A cruel practical joke, that's all.”

“For a joke, someone went to a lot of trouble. That chip didn't just appear inside the cat's neck, it would've had to have been put in there by someone who knew what they were doing. Someone with medical or veterinary know how. Someone like you.”

Abby frowned. “Why would I put a chip inside a cat to warn people not to trust my own daughter? I think I'd remember doing something like that.”

“Haven't you been listening?” Connor slammed his hand on the desk, making Abby jump. “You have to stop thinking of time as being linear. You were kidnapped by Helen Cutter in this timeline...”

“So you say.”

Ignoring Abby, Connor continued. “She has some plan, some reason she needed you, and now she's putting that plan into action. That cluster of anomalies they had a few weeks ago... perfect opportunity for her to come here undetected amongst all of those other anomalies. And the kidnapped version of you knows what she's up to and put the chip into Quinn so that we could be warned!”

“But the warning was about Nicola, not Helen. Connor, you're not making any sense!”

He slumped down in his seat and sighed. Maybe he was clutching at straws and putting two and two together to make five? Abby was right; he wasn't making sense. He'd been so certain that Helen was involved though. Who else would have one of those anomaly opening devices? The fact that the same device was used to open an anomaly on the day that the Abby here disappeared as the one that brought them here was just too much of a coincidence for him to ignore. He felt Abby's arms around him and heard her soothing voice suggesting that they'd both feel better after having something to eat. Food did sound good; he always thought more clearly on a full stomach, so he waited for Abby to get Quinn and then followed her out.

They got to the security door and found it locked. “I'll open it, the security system recognises me,” Connor said. “Don't want you setting off all the alarms again!” He waited, feeling the electronic scan move through his body and then the bolts unlocked, allowing the door to be opened. He followed Abby along the path back down towards the residential complex, glancing back at the ARC occasionally. Something wasn't adding up and he didn't like it.

-o-

Abby had insisted they acted as normally as possible. She set about preparing dinner and found a phone number for John in Nicola's address book and made Connor call him to invite him around. If something was amiss with Nicola, then surely John would be the one to notice it. She already knew he was concerned about her behaviour since she'd gone off on her own during the anomaly cluster. Abby did wonder if perhaps he was the one that had put the chip inside Quinn, his way of getting someone else to start noticing what he had because Nicola wasn't prepared to listen to him.

Quinn suddenly sat up, alert and ears twitching. Footsteps were heard approaching and then the door opened. Connor held his breath and glanced nervously at Abby until Nicola's voice was heard. “Hi! I'm back! Something smells good, are you cooking, dad?”

Letting out a sigh of relief, Connor smiled. “No, Abby is though.” He wasn't quite sure who he was expecting to come through the door, but his stomach was churning. The thought that Helen Cutter could be close by really un-nerved him.

“Oh right,” Nicola looked uneasy. “You didn't need to do that. I could have ordered in a take out or something.”

“I don't mind. Needed to do something to occupy myself.”

Nicola walked into the dining room with Quinn following her, rubbing himself around her ankles and almost tripping her over. “Four places?” she frowned, spotting the table all set out.

“Yeah, I invited John over. He came round earlier, he seems a really nice guy. You can tell he's Matt's son, he has that same calm manner about him.” Abby said.

“What? You had no right to do that!”

The doorbell rang and Connor went to answer it. From the look of him, Connor knew straight away it must be John and it felt weird. “I guess you must be my daughter's boyfriend!” he laughed. This conversation was one Connor didn't think he'd be having for a long time yet, and certainly not with a man who was pretty much the same age as himself. 

“John Anderson.” He held out his hand and shook Connor's, then spoke quietly. “Did Abby tell you about my concerns?”

“Yes, and I'm worried too.” John looked at him questioningly. Connor put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the chip. “Abby found this inside Quinn's neck earlier.”

“An ID chip? You've found his real owner?”

“No. It has a warning on it. It says Nicola is not to be trusted and that she's not who we think she is. Any ideas who might have put it there?”

John shook his head. “There may be people who don't like her, but she is respected. We both trained under Captain Becker, and he'd earmarked her for great things right from the start.”

Connor wished he could chat to John more, but Abby called them through for dinner and it had to be all smiles. Despite the awkwardness, chat flowed fairly easily between all four. Abby and Connor mostly listened as John talked about some recent anomaly missions, and then he asked them questions about the Cretaceous era. All relatively safe topics. 

When dinner was almost over, Abby decided that she needed to know if the warning had any weight to it. “What I don't understand,” she began, turning to Nicola, “is why you broke up with John? He seems a pleasant enough young man and he's worried about you.”

“What's this? Don't tell me that after all of this time you're suddenly acting like the perfect, concerned mother?” Nicola's words stung, and Abby had to fight the tears she felt prickling in her eyes. 

“I am worried about you, Nic. I think you're ill and need help before you...” John glanced at Abby, knowing he'd said he wouldn't tell her anything about her own future. 

“Before I end up like mummy dearest here and take the coward's way out?” Nicola spat, glaring at Abby. Connor stood up, fists clenched. Abby grasped his arm and urged him to sit down, whispering that it was OK. “The truth hurts doesn't it,” she smiled, and her hand moved to grasp the silver bracelet on her left wrist. As she fiddled with it, something strange happened. A brief moment of what could only be described as static electricity. 

Abby gasped. Suddenly it all fell into place; the warning about Nicola, Connor's earlier ramblings about the anomalies. She'd seen something like this before, and now she knew why Nicola was behaving strangely. 

“The truth?” Abby said. “Oh, I think I have a perfect grasp on what's happening here.”

“Oh really? I'd be interested in your theory.”

Standing up, Abby reached for Connor's hand. She hoped she was wrong and that what was she was about to say was completely ridiculous, but she had to know. “You're not Nicola Temple.”

Connor's mouth dropped open, and Abby's grip on him tightened. He expected an explosion, either of anger or hysterical laughter, but Nicola's smile became a tight line across her face and then she twisted the bracelet around on her wrist. Slowly, Nicola's body began to shimmer and fade like an image on a TV screen being retuned. After a few moments, it was no longer Nicola standing there looking smug, but another familiar figure who looked no older than the last time they'd laid eyes on her. 

“Helen!” The word stuck in Connor's throat. He'd been right; she was responsible for those anomalies; the one at the cluster, the one that had brought him and Abby here, and the one that had appeared the day the Abby from this time had disappeared. 

“I'm impressed. I thought it would take a little longer than this for you to work it out.” Helen's eyes glinted. 

“Where's Nicola?” John yelled. He was confused and was looking from Abby to Connor for an explanation. 

“She's safe enough. Reunited with the mother she thought had abandoned her. If I was the sentimental kind, I'd have been quite touched at the scene,” Helen said. 

Connor rushed forward, arms flying in an attempt to punch her, but Abby pulled him back. “You bitch! You kidnapped Abby and now you've got Nicola too! Why?”

“To make you suffer, dear Connor, “ Helen replied calmly. “I knew killing you would only make the others stronger and more determined. Taking away the one person you really cared about was extremely effective, although I didn't anticipate just how long you would hold onto the hope she'd come back. I did plan to try cloning her, use her against you and hurt you even more, but the clones are just not convincing enough for someone who knows the person intimately. It was rather fortunate that your daughter grew up to be so similar to Abby. Once I'd studied her for a while, I realised I could use the DNA already gathered and cloned from Abby to create my disguise and come here. I just had to get the real Nicola out of the way so that the next phase of the plan could begin.”

Connor was shaking, fists clenched and adrenaline racing through every nerve and muscle in his body. If it wasn't for Abby holding him so tightly, he'd have been launching an attack on Helen right now. He'd sworn after Cutter's death that he would kill her if he ever got the chance, and right now that was exactly what he wanted to do. 

“And the next phase was?” Abby said calmly.

“To open anomalies in various significant places in your timeline. To bring different versions of Connor here using the cat as bait and inflict even more pain on him. Over and over, one by one, breaking each Connor Temple down until he couldn't handle it any longer and all anomaly research would end.”

“You're sick!” Connor yelled, struggling against Abby. He broke free, and reached into his jacket for his EMD. Trembling, he pointed it at her, his finger twitching on the trigger that would fire the electronic pulse. He hesitated a moment, and Helen's mouth curled into a smug smile. Connor knew it was pointless; the EMD wouldn't do anything more than render her helpless for a few minutes, and that wasn't what he wanted. With a sigh, he threw it to the ground in frustration. 

“Poor little Connor.” Helen taunted. “They never did let you have a proper gun. Such a shame, you just missed out on the perfect moment to get your revenge for Nick's death.”

Three gunshots were fired in rapid succession and for a split second time seemed to stand still. Helen slumped to the ground, and when Connor regained his senses all he could see was her body laid in a pool of her own blood which was growing larger by the second. Abby choked back a shocked sob and turned to look at John, trembling in the corner of the room with the pistol still pointing in the direction he'd fired it.

“Sorry,” he managed to mutter. “She was your kill, not mine, but I had the gun.”

Abby knelt down and cautiously placed her fingers on Helen's neck to check for a pulse. “Is she dead?” Connor asked. Abby simply nodded then stood up. “Then it doesn't matter who pulled the trigger, does it.” He allowed Abby's arms to surround him, hold him, and protect him from the terrible pain he felt in his heart. Helen was dead, but it didn't feel as satisfying as he thought it would.

-o-

It took the ARC's soldiers only a matter of minutes to remove the body and begin cleaning up, they were all to familiar with having to deal with the aftermath of a shooting or creature attack. Helen Cutter was a name they all knew, and the significance of this event was not lost on any of them. They worked silently without even a second glance at Abby, Connor or John. No questions would be asked of them and there would be no consequences. 

“I guess this explains why I was dumped,” John said, breaking the awkward silence after the soldiers had left. 

Connor nodded. “The disguise is very good and would fool most people, but someone who knew her would realise fairly quickly. She had to get you out of the way as the only one who would blow her cover.”

Quinn slowly crept out from behind the cupboard where he'd hidden after the gun was fired and meowed. Abby picked him and Connor made a fuss of him. “I don't get why Helen would use a cat to get us through the anomaly,” he said, mostly to himself.

“Availability,” Abby responded. “That, and the fact that she could wander around with him in tow to use whenever she needed to without drawing any attention to herself. She could hardly keep a Raptor with her could she! He's normal looking enough to appear ordinary, but with enough features to strike curiosity and make us come through the anomaly to return him. It worked too.”

“And either Abby or Nicola knew that was what she going to do and put the chip into his neck, hoping someone would take notice. Clever women my girls!” Connor smiled, squeezing Abby's hand.

“The question is, where has that bitch taken them?” John said.

“We'll find them. We have to.” Connor felt the sting of regret. He should have fired the EMD at Helen when he had the chance, they could have restrained her and then made her tell them where she was holding Abby and Nicola. If only he hadn't allowed the red mist to descend and let his desire to avenge Cutter's death get the better of him.

He closed his eyes, trying to imagine the hell that Abby must have been through for the last twenty seven years or so; alone, scared, clinging on to the hope that her Connor would come and find her. It broke his heart thinking about it but he knew he could do something about it. It was too late for her own Connor to find her, but at least he could. The question was, where do you start looking for someone that has been kept hidden for almost 30 years?


	5. Chapter 5

No-one could bare to spend any more time in Nicola's home, so John arranged for Abby and Connor to have a room in the soldier's quarters. He ensured that they would not be disturbed so that they could try to get a decent night's sleep and prepare themselves to try and find the real Nicola and her mother.

Connor couldn't sleep though. Several times in the night he got out of bed and paced around the room. It had been a long time since Helen had infiltrated his mind in such a dominant way; not since Danny had assured them that he'd seen her dead body. He hadn't needed to think about her until now, but everything had come rushing back to him with a force that made his entire body ache. 

Abby was restless too. Her head was full of conflict and confusion. Barely hours ago, she was facing up to the reality that she was the sort of woman who could just walk away from her baby, suffering from a mental illness that no-one realised was such a massive problem. Then this new revelation; she hadn't left the baby of her own free will after all, she was just the victim of another of Helen Cutter's vindictive games. Abby wasn't sure which was the worse to come to terms with.

Sleep finally overcame them in the early hours; sheer exhaustion getting the better of them as they settled into the comfort of each other's embrace. It was only the early morning alarm for the soldiers on first shift that woke them, and whilst Abby showered, Connor went in search of some breakfast. He had a feeling it was going to be a very long day, and this could be the only opportunity for food they'd get once they started their search.

-o-

“What we need is the opening device she used,” Connor said. They'd been sat for the last hour studying each set of data from the anomalies in minute detail. “She would've used it to get here from wherever Nicola and Abby are being held. We find that, we open the anomaly and go and find them.”

“I didn't see anything yesterday when I was cleaning,” Abby said.

“Then she has to have hidden it somewhere within the military base,” John replied. “She hadn't set foot inside the ARC until yesterday. I'm guessing that whatever she used to make herself look like Nicola wasn't clever enough to replicate things like fingerprints or the retinal image that would be scanned to allow her access.” John used his communicator to call in some of the most trusted soldiers, and explained to them what they needed to find. No stone must be left un-turned.

It didn't take long. The device was in a drawer in the office Nicola used. Helen would've known that no-one else used it and supposed it was safe. Connor practically snatched it from the young soldier's hands and connected it to Carrie's computer. As the anomaly map appeared, Connor's heart began to pound. This was becoming an all too familiar scenario and one he feared would occur time and time again. Setting his jaw with determination, he focussed on this new task – to find some kind of co-ordinate or sequence that repeated itself and would indicate someone going back to the same anomaly. 

“There!” Carrie exclaimed, pointing out at least four different occurrences of the same 10 digit sequence. 

“I could kiss you right now!” Connor grinned, making the young woman blush. “This is it; this is where she took Nicola and Abby. Come on!” He was already half way across the room and heading towards the exit, and Abby and John had to run to catch up with him.

-o-

Finding a suitable clearing, Connor held out the device and pressed the button to activate the anomaly. The three of them all paused for a moment, contemplating what was on the other side of the glowing ball of light. Abby suggested they checked for a year with the dating calculator so they at least had some fore-warning of what they could encounter, but Connor sniffed and said all that mattered was finding their daughter and her mother. 

Connor took a step forward, but Abby grabbed his arm. “We have to think about this, Connor. We could spend hours, maybe days, looking and still not find them. Look at us, we don't have any food or water. What would Becker say about us going through an anomaly so ill-prepared?”

Connor rolled his eyes then sighed. “You're right, of course. John, would you be able to prepare us with some emergency rations to take with us, just in case this mission takes us some time?”

John nodded and ran off back towards the soldier's quarters leaving Abby and Connor alone, staring into the anomaly. Abby stroked Connor's shoulder, then leaned against him and he settled his arm around her waist. “Where do we start looking when we get there?” she whispered.

“I have no idea, but I won't give up. They're both still alive, and that's all I need to know.”

Abby closed her eyes. This could be a huge task that Connor was undertaking, and whilst she understood completely why he needed to do it, she also wished he'd stop and think a little. They should be getting back up, sending out soldiers to assist in the search. Perhaps she'd humour Connor for a while and do it his way, then if their search proved fruitless after a couple of hours she'd rein him back in and suggest getting some assistance. 

Connor was clearly itching to get going. He kept looking over his shoulder for John returning and was fidgeting on the spot. Abby held onto him tightly, needing to make sure he didn't just go rushing off on his own into the unknown. 

Finally, they could see John approaching, carrying a heavy looking rucksack. Following behind him was Quinn, tail in the air and meowing, trying to get John's attention. He had no time for the cat and was doing his best to ignore him until he got to where Abby and Connor were waiting. Quinn sat in front of the anomaly for a moment, glanced back at the group of humans and then slowly walked through the anomaly and disappeared.

“Well he seems to know where he's going,” John commented, helping Connor to hoist the rucksack onto his back.

Connor grinned. “Course he does, he's going home. Abby, didn't you say cats would find their own way back to where they belonged?”

She nodded, understanding why Connor was smiling. “Let's follow him. What's the betting he'll lead us straight to where Nicola and Abby are?” Abby took the lead, hoping that Quinn hadn't already gone too far ahead and out of sight. John and Connor followed behind her.

It was almost as if Quinn knew the importance of what he was doing. He was sat on a rock, waiting for them as they came through, and then he set off again satisfied that they were following. He scrambled deftly over the rocky terrain and the three humans had difficulty keeping up, but each time he got too far ahead he stopped and waited for them. “If he leads us to where Nicola and Abby are being held captive, then I'm going to buy him the biggest fish I can carry from that fishmonger on the High street,” Connor panted.

After almost an hour, they stopped to have some water. Abby took the lid from the flask and poured a little water into it to allow Quinn to lap it, whilst John and Connor perched on a high rock to take in their surroundings.

“Where do you think we are?” John asked. There was nothing of any note as far as the eye could see, just rock and desert. The sun was high in the sky and the heat of the day was causing a slight haze on the horizon. 

“Hard to say,” Connor frowned. “The air is breathable at least. With no vegetation or animals around, this could be any time in the past or the future. That would suit Helen down to the ground.”

“Guys!” Abby called, standing up. Now that his thirst had been quenched, Quinn was on the move again and moving with a seemingly increased determination. Connor hoped that was a good sign and that they were close. Every time Quinn stopped, Connor's heart leapt into his mouth, thinking this could be it. 

Just when they were all beginning to think they'd been wrong to put their faith in the cat, he squeezed himself into a small crevice about three metres off the ground in the cliff face. Connor, Abby and John all looked at each other. The gap was too small for any of them to get through, surely this couldn't be the place? They listened but the only sound they could hear was some kind of eagle screeching as it circled above them.

“Damn!” Connor cursed, slumping himself down a rock. “The bloody cat was just looking for his hunting ground. I bet that place is full of rats n'things!”

“Maybe there's another way in?” Abby said. She climbed up the rock face to where the small hole was and ran her fingers along the edge of it. Peering inside, she tried to see if Quinn was close by. The inside was dimly lit, too brightly for the light to be coming purely from the gap she was looking through. It seemed to be coming from higher up and to the left, so Abby hoisted herself up further onto a small ledge above the crevice. There was another hole, still quite small, but large enough for someone to get through at a squeeze.

“I'm going to take a look,” she called, positioning herself at the edge and peering down to try and see how far down she'd have to go before finding solid ground.

“Wait!” Connor called, climbing up to join her. “This is something I have to do. Please. It has to be me that finds them.”

Abby nodded. She understood perfectly. By this time, John had joined them and helped Connor to take off the rucksack. Rummaging inside, he pulled out a length of rope. “Tie this around your waist,” he insisted. “If something happens, we'll be able to pull you back.” Connor obliged, although he didn't think it would be necessary. The cat wouldn't have gone inside if there was danger surely? They seemed to have a sixth sense about things like that. He made sure the knot was tight, and gave Abby a hug before he slid himself into the opening and allowed his body to drop down to the ground below.

Connor found himself inside some kind of narrow cave. It smelt damp and the air was stale, and for a moment he almost thought about turning back. It was the thought that Abby had been waiting for him all of these years that urged him onwards, away from the light and deeper inside.

“Can you see anything?” Abby shouted.

“Not yet, but this seems to go on quite some way.” Taking a deep breath, Connor continued, slowly checking each step as he went to make sure the ground was solid. As the light faded, he began to rely on his other senses, a survival instinct that had been been finely tuned during the year in the Cretaceous kicking in. His fingertips felt the way ahead, and then his nose detected something new that made his stomach turn but told him he was going in the right direction. The smell was unmistakable; the stench of unwashed flesh, stale urine and worse. If this was where Nicola and Abby were being held, then it was not going to be a pretty sight.

As he moved on another few steps the smell of candlewax and oil overwhelmed the other smells, and then Connor could see the flicker of light created by a flame cast on the walls ahead. This was it.

“Hello?” he called, his voice echoing eerily through the narrow corridor. He couldn't determine if someone called back, or if it was just his own words returning back to him, so he moved forward quickly. The rope jerked him back; he had clearly run out of length, so he untied it from his waist and carried on. Abby would probably be having a major fit right now, but that didn't matter. Moments from now, he would find the very people they had come here to rescue. 

As his eyes became accustomed to the light, Connor could make out two terrified figures huddled together. The younger of the two women turned to face him, a look of anger and defiance on her face. When she saw Connor, she choked back a sob and cried out, “Dad?” The look of disbelief turned to one of relief; the father she remembered from her childhood was standing there and he'd come to find her and protect her just as he always had done whilst she was growing up.

The older woman looked up, and Connor knew in an instant she was Abby. Older, painfully thin and skin so pale from lack of sunlight it was almost translucent, but very definitely Abby. She blinked back a tear as she gazed into the eyes of the man she'd never given up hope on, then stood up shakily and threw her arms around him. 

Connor held her tight in his embrace, trying not to think about the fact that she was so tiny and frail and the reality that she may not have been able to hold on for much longer. “I knew you'd come,” she whispered. 

“Sorry it took so long,” he laughed, releasing her and turning to Nicola. “And it's good to meet you properly. Helen had us fooled for a while, but thanks to your warning on Quinn's chip, we worked it out.”

“The cat? If only Helen knew that the very thing she was using to try and lure you through the anomaly would be the thing that exposed her.”

“We can all talk properly later, yeah?” Connor said. “But Abby and John are waiting at the entrance and probably going frantic because I undid the rope. Do you think you can both walk OK? It's not far.”

Nicola said she was fine, but was concerned about Abby. She'd spent most of her years in captivity barely moving from this cave and her legs could hardly support her. “I've waited all of this time for you to come and get me,” Abby said. “I'm not going to let a small thing like weak legs stop me!”

“Lean on me,” Connor said softly, hooking his arm around her shoulders and moving slowly as she took one step at a time towards freedom.

-o-

“Something's wrong,” Abby cried. “The rope's gone slack. I'm going in after him!”

“Abby, no! If there's something down there that's got him, then you're just committing suicide by going in without a weapon.” John practically pulled her back.

“If Connor's dead, then it doesn't matter if I die,” Abby snapped. She wriggled free from his grip and slid herself into the opening.

“Now I can see where Nic gets her stubbornness from! Like mother, like daughter.”

Abby stopped herself from retaliating. She hated that phrase with a passion because it had fuelled her fears for most of her adult life. This was not the time to be getting angry with John though, her priority was finding Connor. She called out for him, then began to move forward into the darkness, but moments later she saw the glow from a flame around the walls and then three familiar figures came into view.

The first had to be Nicola. Abby had to push aside everything she'd come to feel about the image of a woman that was so alike her own. The 'Nicola' she had met previously was not her daughter and was a distorted version of the true Nicola. “Hey!” Abby said, unsure how she should react to this woman.

“Hey!” Nicola ran forward and hugged Abby before pulling away and wiping a tear from her cheek. It was clear that she wasn't quite sure how to deal with seeing another version of her mother looking exactly like she did in all of the photos she'd been shown as a child. It was most definitely a unique situation to be in. She then spotted John just behind Abby and she practically leapt into his waiting arms, relieved to find some normality at last. 

Then Abby made eye contact with the frail woman leaning against Connor. There was a lump in her throat that she couldn't swallow down; this was her future right in front of her, the result of almost thirty years being held hostage at the mercy of Helen Cutter. She could barely recognise herself and it was almost too much to take in. After several, long, awkward moments, the older Abby let go of her grip on Connor and stepped over to Abby, placing the palm of her hand on her cheek.

“It's OK,” she whispered. “I know what you're thinking because I'd be thinking it too, but Connor will explain it. This isn't your future.” She then pulled Abby into a hug and the two allowed silent tears to fall as they held each tightly.

Connor cleared his throat, and the two pairs of eyes turned to look at him. “I hate to break up the party, but we need to get back and get Abby some medical attention.” He looked at the older Abby, knowing she would protest and cut her off before she could even speak. “Just as a precaution, we need to make sure you're well.”

John smiled and nodded at Connor, an understanding passing between them. “Nicola and I will go on ahead,” he said. “You three take your time, we'll get medical help to come and find you.” He grabbed Nicola's hand and they set off, grateful of the opportunity to be alone.

-o-

Abby perched herself on the edge of the hospital bed that would become her older self's 'home' for the next few months at least. The light in the private room was dim; after so long being held in near darkness, the older Abby's eyes couldn't bare ordinary light levels. The doctor had said her eyes may never be able to fully tolerate light, but that was the only real long term physical problem she'd face once her body had been nourished and the muscles built back up. It would be a long hard journey, but she'd get there. Nicola would make sure of that. She was keen to get to know her mother after all of this time, and they had many hours ahead of them to do just that.

Once the doctors had finished with Abby, she had related to them as much as she could about her time in captivity. When she'd first been taken, the cave had been part of a whole network of tunnels and caverns occupied by Helen's soldiers and scientists. Over the course of the years, Abby had been subjected to experiments and attempts to clone her, but all failed to produce a convincing enough replica. Slowly, the scientists were dismissed and new ones came. Helen's tactics changed when she'd discovered some new technology on her travels that allowed her to disguise herself as someone else. Once that was perfected, everyone else disappeared and left Abby alone. The cat had arrived out of the blue, hungry and thirsty, and Abby had taken pity on him. She had assumed he must''ve belonged to one of the scientists and had been left behind, but soon discovered he was part of Helen's plan to lure Connor through an anomaly and inflict misery upon him.

Then suddenly, Nicola arrived. At first, Abby had thought she was one of the failed cloning attempts and was wary of trusting her, but they soon became close and worked out how they could alert others to what was happening. The scientists had left behind some basic equipment in their labs, enough for them to download the message onto a small computer chip and for Abby to implant it into the cat's neck.

Helen had visited occasionally throughout to check on the progress of the research, and each time she didn't seem any older. For her, the whole process had only taken a matter of months thanks to her use of anomalies. For Abby, it had been 27 years.

“Didn't you try to escape?” Abby asked.

“A few times, yes. They always stopped me though. Once, I actually managed to get to the outside, and that was when I realised that trying to escape was pointless. You saw what it was like out there. Where would I go if I got away? I didn't even know if there would be an anomaly open to take me home. I knew I just had to keep faith and wait for Connor to come and find me.”

Abby squeezed her hand. “He did, at least one version of him did. If only your Connor had held on.”

“He did an amazing job with Nicola, just as I knew he would. Even in the few weeks I've known her, I can tell that he raised her with strong morals and allowed her to follow the path in life she wanted. She's very much like him, and he would be so proud of her. Your Connor will also be a great father one day.”

The mention of the possibility of him being a father made Abby's stomach lurch. The look on her face must have spoken volumes because the older Abby stroked her arm. “Helen robbed me of the chance to prove that I could be a good mother. Yes, my pregnancy didn't go smoothly and the first few months of Nicola's life weren't easy, but I was getting there. Emily was a massive help, and Matt and Connor were doing everything they could. I've got a second chance to be a mother now, to build a relationship with Nicola and maybe it won't be too long before she becomes a mother herself. You've got a second chance too. You can learn from my experiences and get help. Hell, if Jack can break the Maitland curse and be a half decent father, then you can do a damn fine job of being a mother right?”

Abby laughed, wiping the tears from her cheeks that she didn't realise had been falling. “I hope you're right.”

Connor stuck his head around the door, “Sorry, Carrie says the anomaly that will take us home is due to open in about half an hour. We need to be ready.”

Abby stood up and smiled at the Abby in the bed, thanking her for the chat and then turned to leave. She brushed Connor's shoulder and sensed he needed a moment alone with her too. Silently, she walked away.

“Do I at least get a hug before you go back?” Abby said.

“Of course!” Connor strode over and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. As he pulled away she placed both her hands on his face and gazed into his eyes.

“You're every bit as gorgeous as I remember!” she laughed.

“You're just saying that,” Connor blushed then joined in laughing. It felt good. 

“You and your Abby will be fine. Look after her.”

“I will.” 

There was a moment of silence between them, then Abby took a deep breath. “I know you're not my Connor, but would you let me have one last kiss before I say goodbye because I never got that chance with him?” 

He nodded and leaned in, kissing her softly on the lips and lingering for a few moments. He felt her arms hold onto him tightly before she released him and sat back, tears staining her cheeks as she whispered goodbye. Connor knew it was the right time to leave; she had accepted that her Connor was gone but would be OK because she had Nicola, a daughter who had been brought up knowing she had a mother that loved her even if she wasn't there. 

-o-

The anomaly appeared two minutes later than predicted. Connor was impressed and couldn't wait to get started on his own research that would allow the team back home to do the same. Hugs were exchanged between John, Nicola, Connor and Abby and then they prepared to go through. Quinn looked very much at home, settled in John's arms and purring contentedly. Connor stroked him and rubbed under his chin. “I promised that I'd buy him a large fish if he led us to you.” he said to Nicola. “Can you do that for me?”

“He will get all the fish he can eat and he'll be well looked after. We owe him so much,” she said. “Now go, before it closes and we're stuck with you!” She wiped a tear from her cheek and gave Connor a final hug, almost not wanting to let him go. Having the man back that she loved so much and remembered with such fondness had been like a dream come true. If she could have him stay, she would, but she knew that this Connor belonged in another time with his Abby and eventually their own Nicola who would be so incredibly blessed to have both of her parents around. Letting go, she took a step back and John placed his arm around her waist. She had to think about her own future now.

Connor entwined his fingers into Abby's and they both walked towards the anomaly, feeling the static as they moved closer before disappearing through it.

“Dad! Mum! It's been amazing seeing both of you here!” Nicola called, hoping they'd hear her. She took John's hand and they turned away to head home.

On the other side of the anomaly, Connor and Abby found themselves in the familiar surroundings of the Forest of Dean. It was reassuring to be back where they belonged at last, and Connor glanced over at Abby who had a broad smile across her face. “What?” he said. “Glad to be home?”

“Did you hear what she said? She called me 'mum'. Do you have any idea how nice that feels?”

“Well, if it feels half as good as being called dad does, then I understand why you're grinning like a Cheshire cat.”

With a lightness to their steps, they made their way towards the main road to wait for the ARC vehicles to arrive at the anomaly, both silent and lost in their own thoughts for a while until they reached a spot where they could sit. Connor couldn't help smiling to himself at Abby's reaction at being called 'mum', perhaps her thinking was already changing and she wasn't as afraid of being a mother as she was before now? He felt ready to tackle a certain subject when they got home now, more confident in what Abby's response would be.

“Connor?” Abby's voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned to face her. “Does the fact that Helen's been killed before that whole thing with the anomaly at the race track and chasing her through the Cretaceous mean that we never spent that year stranded?”

Connor shook his head. “We can't change what's already happened to us, but in some other alternate universe, there's another Connor and Abby that probably won't have to endure that.”

Abby closed her eyes, not wanting to imagine how different things might be had they not had that experience that forced them to open up to each other and admit how they felt. “It's like Cutter and that Claudia Brown thing isn't it?” Connor just nodded in response. “I don't think I ever quite got my head around that either,” she smiled.

“You need to watch more Dr Who, Abby!” Connor laughed as she rolled her eyes at him. Then another thought struck her and her mood became serious again.

“It's not over is it, Connor?”

He shook his head. “We won this time, but I have no doubt that we'll see Helen again. You heard what her plan was – to find me and inflict as much pain on me as possible. She was wandering through time for at least eight years before anyone knew the anomalies existed, who knows what devastation she left in her wake.”

“But we'll be ready for her, Connor. We won't let her break us and we won't let her stop us from continuing Cutter's work.” Abby pressed herself against his chest, and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

“Oh yes, we'll be ready. And next time, it'll be me that pulls the trigger, Abby. I won't rest until every trace of her is gone.” He fixed his gaze ahead with a new determination. Helen Cutter would never win whilst he still had breath in his body.


End file.
